It's release day again!
Assetto Corsa Competizione version 0.4 not only introduces a very exciting new car and track combination - many of you also eagerly await what is hidden behind the simple word "spectator mode" on our roadmap. Let's unveil this first, then go to a few other remarkable entries in our patch notes.
Broadcasting SDK v1
With 0.4 we will release the first version of the broadcasting SDK, which will allow
modders (yes!) to build rich applications supporting the actual broadcasting crews to make the most professional and immersive livestreams. During the design process we obviously contacted many of the best broadcasters out there, and aligned our visions and concepts with what they actually use, or even dream of. We found many common perspectives, but it was also common that the actual tools used were highly customized, and there was little chance to try to deliver a compromise that tries to suit all needs.
Which was great news, as we originally planned to focus on supporting the cool features, and deliver a SDK for a moddable broadcasting interface. Actually this is what the guys were doing before - but instead of using APIs directed to modding, we found patchworks of (quite genious) hacks around problems that shouldn't exist.
So given a real interface dedicated to broadcasting, we are proud to open ACC to support:
- Live timing updates: cars, drivers, race numbers, teams, track data, categories, positions+pic, deltas, laptimes, splits, session information, etc.
- Track + condition live updates: temperatures, (rough) rain and wetness, cloud level
- Tracking: Focused car is updated live and can be set via API
- Camera control: Active camera is updated live and can be set via API
- HUD: Active HUD page is updated live and can be set via API (also note we have 2 new HUD pages for shared use, so you can e.g. cycle through "Blank", "Timetable", "Broadcasting")
- Live replay: Instantly jump back to a certain point and show a replay just by time and duration, or use one of the events
- Networking: Applications are free to connect to multiple ACC clients, and clients will accept multiple connections from different controller applications. This should allow a flexible setup allowing multiple broadcasters across the world to collaborate and for example let one master application control what the audience and commentators see, so they will never again comment on something that isn't even on the livestream
Practically, you will see modders creating windows applications (or even mobile apps) that are run on a 2nd screen on the same PC, or on a secondary PC in the same network, or even connect via internet. We will place our test client next to the C# sources inside the steam folder, so everyone can just fire up something and get a better picture what this is about. However please note that this is not meant to be a real broadcasting client application, it's just the example showing what could be done, and how the API is meant to be used.
We also have some features still work-in-progress and to be added to the SDK during the remaining Early Access process:
- Pitstop+tyre data
- Events with live-replayable timestamps: offtrack, accidents, loss of control, overtakes, fights
- Plausible weather forecast
- Replay highlight saving
- Communication channel, connected controller applications can exchange data and messages (from simple chat messages between broadcasters up to synchronized saving of replay highlights for later use)
- spectator mode
Ironically, the "spectator mode" is only a small tool in the big picture of our broadcasting support - and is not part of 0.4. The ability to join a server without actually occupying a slot or having a car entry will complete our approach, but the broadcasting mode is completely usable without the necessity to enter a special mode - it even works for Singleplayer races, which is a huge help to efficiently develop and test applications using the broadcasting SDK (and probably enables some creative ways of "using" this feature).
In a last note, we are also looking into different solutions to improve TV cameras; but as usual, I won't give promises about features that aren't decided yet.
I will open a thread for anyone who is interested in developing with the SDK, or just playing around with our testclient.
The road to Multiplayer
With 0.3 we released the very first step to Multiplayer racing, followed by very valuable weeks of observations and optimizations. Parallely we opened up the Race weekends, means from now on server admins can setup Practice, Qualyfing and Race sessions.
This is another very important step to observe and get feedback from, with the nice side effect of (finally) seeing you racing each other.
Horizon lock
Not only VR users may get a small present with this build: Using this new option found in the video options (Alt+H will also toggle it), "Lock to horizon" will stabilize your view in a similar way the real eye movement works. Especially for VR this is interesting and should reduce motion sickness.
You can seamingless move between the "Fixed view" to "Horizon locked", also ingame by using Shift+H and Ctrl+H.
Rating adjustments
As usual, various rating adjustments and fixes have been.
Most remarkable is the fix of false-positive "way too hard" sections for the TC, CN and CC rating. But also the CC rating parameters have changed, to be less punishing in a range where alien drivers do the best laptimes around (it's still detected as overdriving, but not as much).
Total Rating + Driver Categories
In your Driver Profile/Rating page in the main menu, you will now find your new TO rating value. It is meant to be a simplified aggregation of our actually quite complex ratings - just a single number between 0 and 9999 describing your performance, mileage and total completness as a racing driver.
The value works straight forward: Drive more, do better, number goes up. Unlock more ratings, number goes up. Once you reached your actual level, you will need to improve your driving to even improve it more.
(In)Directly derived from the TO rating: Driver categories. Everybody starts in the Bronze category; around 7000 TO points you will upgrade to Silver. This is something that should be obtainable for everyone, given enough dedication and practice.
At around 8000 points, the Gold category is handed out. This should indicate a really good simracer, while the Platinum rank at 9000 TO points will be reserved for only a small number of the world's best simracers.
Disclaimer:
The Total Rating is obviously sensitive to changes to the underlying ratings, so it will need time, tweaks and data to settle down at the expected numbers. At the moment, I would suspect that we see more Gold and Platinum categories, until the CC Rating is finally adjusted.
So don't get too attached to your rank, again 
